Great read..... Dinsmore Hiker Haven is no longer where you remember. They relocated further west along Highway 2 to the town of Baring. They now have a large barn to put thru-hikers up for the night. They have a shower, bathroom, internet, TV, bunk-beds, etc. Great people. Across the railroad tracks is a small post office/deli that has great food and beer! Everytime I head for Stevens Pass I make sure to stop off at Dinsmore's to see if any thru-hikers need a ride to the Pass. All the hikers I give lifts to are happy as can be to get a lift, but more importantly having a nice warm welcome from a trail angel.

Sorry the weather was so wet for you. I always seem to luck out and get sun.

During my hitchhiking trip from San Diego to NYC, I relied on the kindness of strangers for my rides, and I always asked them why they had stopped to pick me up. The answers I got varied widely, but shared a commonality that seems to be true for 'trail angels' as well. These are people who see someone trying to do something difficult (hike a long trail, travel without money), feel a need to help, and most importantly actually do something about it. I had people buy me food, offer me short-term work to make some cash, flat give me money, drive miles out of their way to drop me in a safer spot, and all sorts of other stuff. There really are some good people in this world. You still gotta watch out for the assholes, of course, but most assholes aren't the type to do anything about it. They might throw a bottle at your head, as long as they don't have to stop the car to do it. It's too much work for them to really ruin a person's day.